Phone hacking: Jude Law settles but costs could reach £10m

Jude Law, the actor, is among the victims of the News of the World
phone-hacking who have settled their damages claims, the High Court heard,
with News International facing the prospect of the scandal costing over
£10million.

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Jude Law (left) and Lord PrescottPhoto: PA/Getty Images

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Lawyer Mark Lewis was recalled to the Leveson Inquiry at the Royal Courts of JusticePhoto: FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/AFP/Getty Images

Other claimants who have settled include Shaun Russell, whose wife and daughter were killed in Kent in 1996, James Hewitt, the former cavalry officer, George Galloway, the former MP, and Gavin Henson, the Welsh rugby player.

Also among the settlements confirmed in court were Sara Payne, the mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah, Sadie Frost, the actress, Ashley Cole, the footballer, Dannii Minogue, the singer, and Meg Matthews, the ex-wife of former Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher.

The court heard that the number of phone hacking cases settled by the company now stood at 36.

The High Court heard Mr Bryant was paid £30,000 in damages plus legal costs; Mr Cole did not disclose the sum he received; Miss Frost got £50,000 in damages plus legal costs; Lisa Gower, who became a target after she was linked to the actor Steve Coogan, received £30,000 plus costs.

Tom Rowland, a journalist who used to work for Endemol, which made Big Brother, accepted £25,000 in damages plus costs; Graham Shear, a football lawyer, received £25,000 in damages; Chris Shipman, the son of the serial killer Harold Shipman, got an undisclosed but "substantial" amount plus costs; and Joan Smith, a journalist who had a relationship with Mr MacShane, was given £27,500 plus costs.

There were reports that the legal costs for one claimant who had settled - paid in addition to the damages settlement - were £200,000.

However, those who have not settled will continue to a trial scheduled for next month.

Mark Thomson, a lawyer for some of the alleged victim, said: "All of the claimants have been extremely brave to take on and succeed against a massive and influential multinational media organisation.

"They can take the credit for triggering the new police investigation, the parliamentary inquiries and the Leveson Inquiry. They should be very pleased with what they have achieved.

"A number of claimants are still pursuing the matter to trial and, as a result, NGN will continue to disclose further information and evidence."

The Guardian, which was partly responsible for the exposure of the practice, reported that the claimants alleged that senior employees and directors at News Group Newspapers (NGN), the News International subsidiary that published the News of the World, knew their journalists were engaging in illegal practices, and that the group deliberately deceived investigators and destroyed evidence.

While not admitting or denying those claims, NGN has agreed that compensation to the claimants can be assessed on that basis.

Its position, the Guardian said, means victims will receive sums far in excess of the usual range of compensation in cases of misuse of private information, with some sums believed to be in excess of £100,000.

The paper estimated the claims could cost the group "at least £10m in costs and damages".

Today's hearing before Mr Justice Vos follows the settlement of a number of other claims against News International subsidiary News Group Newspapers, publisher of the now defunct News of the World.

When the case was last before the judge, in December, it emerged that seven cases had been resolved with a number of others likely to be so.

News International said that Mark Oaten, the Lib Dem MP, Ulrika Jonsson, the television presenter, Paul Dadge, the hero of 7/7, Abi Titmuss, the actress, Calum Best, the son of the footballer George Best, and Michelle Milburn, a theatrical agent, would all receive appropriate sums by way of compensation and costs.

The judge was also told that the case brought by Paul Gascoigne, the former England footballer, which was due to be one of the "lead" cases at the trial on February 13, "is settling".

News International has previously confirmed settlements with the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, Gordon Taylor, Max Clifford, the publicist, Andy Gray, the TalkSport presenter, and Kelly Hoppen, the interior designer.

Others such as former Labour Cabinet members David Blunkett and Tessa Jowell have also said that they have reached settlements, although News International would not confirm this.

It was said in other High Court proceedings in December, involving private investigator Glenn Mulcaire and NGN, that, as of then, more than 60 claimants had commenced proceedings against NGN and Mulcaire for breach of confidence and misuse of private information, with the majority outstanding.